A Promised Land

It is interesting to note that just as the Levitical cities were 52 in total (like the weeks of the year, and four to five to each tribe, like the weeks of the month), consisting of 48 cities, in addition to Jerusalem, the capital, and three future cities, so too the United States has historically consisted of 52 entities, 48 states, the capital, and mainly 3 territories – Alaska, Hawai, and Puerto Rico. (Levitical Cities are one of the main topics of Book 2). Below is a map of Biblical Israel (inverted rotated horizontally) and an 1860 map of the United States.

Cycles of Shovavim (Six to Eight Parshiyot)

Cycles of Shovavim Tat (Parshiyot):

1-6: Shin (Moshe)(Torah)(Sunday)

7-12: Vav (Aaron)(Tefilah)(Monday)

13-20: Bet (Mordechai)(Tzedaka)(Tuesday)

21-28: Bet (Esther)(Teshuva/Fast)(Wednesday)

29-36: Yud (Rabbi ShiMon*)(Zohar)(Thursday)

37-42: Mem Sofit (Arizal*)(Mikveh)(Friday)

43-48: Tav (Mashiach)(Tikkun Leah)(Shabbat)

49-54: Tav (Eliyahu)(Tikkun Rachel)(Motz”Sh)

*Only when there are 8 weeks

Three levels: Cycle / Parasha / Day of Weeek

The Heroes and Heroines of Shlomit

 B"H

Last night, at an event from the Jewish National Fund (JNF/Keren Kayemet L'Yisrael), three women heroes from the Yishuv of Shlomit spoke about the recent passing for their husbands, who fought heroically to defend the nearby Kibbutz of Prigan. (Shlomit is a religious Yishuv, while Prigan is a secular one, which goes to show how all this talk about a religious/secular divide in Israel is greatly overblown.)

  

It was a truly memorable and wonderful. There wasn’t a dry eye in the whole audience. I for one couldn’t stop crying. At the end of the event, each heroine was asked to their late husbands with one Middah.

Sefirah/Middah combination for yesterday night was Netzach shebeChesed shebeGevurah, which very much fit with their descriptions of their husband. 

 

It was also a perfect way to describe the event itself: the ultimate victory and endurance of our people (they all spoke about continuing the pioneering vision of their husbands in building up the Yishuv), sustained by acts of kindness (in Israel and abroad), and ultimately powered by the acts of might and heroism of our men and women.

Clearly there are also many parallels with the Parasha, Chayei Sarah, regarding Avraham's mourning for Sarah, the acquisition of the Cave of Machpela in Hebron, etc., but that’s for a different time.

 

 

364 Victims of the Nova Festival

 B”H

364 lives were lost at the Nova Festival on Shabat-Shmini Atzeret/Simchat Torah last year.

364 represents the days in the solar year (all days other than Yom Kippur) in which we have to fight our evil inclination.

364 is also the number of days in the 52-week calendar in Kabbalah of Time.

Shmini Atzeret and the Eagle

 B”H

As we approach Shmini Atzeret, it’s worth remembering the song of the animal in Perek Shira for this week, Week 4:

The Eagle is saying, "And You, G-d, Lord of Hosts, Lord of Israel, awake to reckon all the nations; do not be gracious to any wicked traitors, sela!" (Psalms 59:6)

Zachur LaTov (Remembered for Good)

 B”H

ההוא = טוב (17)

Bava Basra 106b

In the discussion between Rav Pappa and Abbaye concerning the field bought from "Hahu Gavra”, Rav Pappa complains that he bought a "20" field, but when he counted it, it was only "15."  Abbaye told him what the man meant was that it produced like 20, and that the laws related to invalidating the sale did not apply here because Rav Pappa was familiar with the field..

"Hahu Gavra" here appears to be Elisha HaNavi. Elisha once performed a miracle in which 20 loaves of Bikurim bread fed 100 people and there was still more left over. (II Melachim, 4:42) Elisha performed 15 miracles in his lifetime (and one after his passing). Rav Pappa asked Abbaye how Elisha could have told him that he performed 20 miracles, when Rav Pappa only counted 15. Abbaye explained to him that what Elisha was saying was that, as Rav Pappa already knew, the miracles of Elisha were like the miracle of the 20 loaves of bread and that they all produced much more than meets the eye. 15 can easily equal 20 and much more.

9/11 is Tisha B’Av, 10/7 is Yom Kippur

The 9th day of the 11th month (counting from Tishrei) is the fast of Tisha B'Av. The 10th day of the 7th month (counting from Nissan) is the fast of Yom Kippur.

Alternatively, the 9th day of the 11th month (counting from Nissan) is Erev Yud Shvat, the day in which the Rebbe became Rebbe, and the 10th day of the 7th month (counting from Tishrei) is Yud Nissan, the Rebbe's birthday.